. we've seen a lot of outrageous behavior from politicians at town halls this week. but this morning, texas representative sheila jackson lee took the disrespect to a new level, making a cell phone call while a cancer survivor asked a question. in this video, you can sele raising the phone to her ear and lowering it back down again. i think blatant disregard like that is a first, it didn't go unnoticed. take a look at how people in the audience reacted, this video has been circulating on youtube all day. >> [beep] >> seriously. really? come on. >> it's ok. >> if our conscience allow, congress' conscience allows them to -- do you think that -- sean: the congresswoman said she merely dialed president obama's health care hotline to get an answer for her constituents that sounds like she came really prepared. joining me to discuss all of this is author of "the culture of corruption" are which remains number one on "the new york times" list, michelle malkin is back with us. i don't know what's wrong, saying people are un-american, saying they have swastika, or that reaction, it tells a lot. >> it is a teachable moment, to borrow pres

last straw. that is what i think is bringing out all of these americans to town hall. greta: i like congresswoman sheila jackson lee. she is going to have to apologize to dig yourself out of this one. she has some explaining to do. i will and butter on tomorrow night. -- i will invite her on tomorrow night. i take it that you oppose the bill. argued in favor of some reform of health care? >> -- are you in favor of some reform of health care? >> yes. we want to lower the cost of health insurance and the cost of health care. we think americans should be able to buy private insurance the same way members of congress can on a national basis. we should do serious tort reform. we can lower the cost of health care and health insurance without introducing a massive new government-run insurance plan that will cost millions and set us up on a pathway of socialized medicine. greta: thank you and good luck. you'll find out who one person is coming up. take a look at this video. would you want to deal with this? the congressman goes on the record next. travel plans has everyone talking. is he planning something? we will ask him. we

all morning. texas congresswoman sheila jackson lee was at a town hall meeting. she was supposed to be listening in and directing with constituents. steve: when tracy miller, a cancer survivor, ask the question, in the middle of the question, the commerce woman took a phone call -- the commerce woman took a phone call -- the congresswoman took a phone call. >> she is not even listening. >> seriously? brian: we spoke to tracy miller earlier this morning. alisyn: tell us what the mood was as this was happening. >> people in the room were upset that she was taking a phone call. the lady behind me told cobbers woman jackson lee that she was being very rude -- told congresswoman jackson lee that she was being very rude. she snapped back at the elementary she said she could multitask. -- south back at the woman. she said she could multitask. steve: she said the reason she was on the phone was because she had called into a health-care hot line to ask for an answer to question. does that sound right to you? did it seem like she called into the hot line to ask a question? or was she taking a

town hall moment. sheila jackson-lee, while a woman is pouring her heart out about health care, takes a phone call. we'll show you the video when we come back. bicycle, i've missed you. gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ . when morning comes in the middle of the night... rooster crow. ...it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving while not fully awake with memory loss for the event as well as abnormal behaviors such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and halluciations may occur. don't take it with alcohol as it may increase these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your

is probably a distraction. but what sheila jackson lee has done is not because sheila jackson lee has a consistent history of serving her constituents. >> okay. >> and i served that lady by having a town hall meeting that she could come to in the middle of the day. >> i get it. >> i look forward to working with you. >> we are out of time. congresswoman, very courageous of you to come on. i know it's a difficult thing. wolf blitzer is standing by. he, too, will be covering stories like this in "the situation room." >>> rick, thank you. happening now, something the white house is doing raising some eyebrows out there. it involves health care reform and possibly your e-mail inbox. >>> a convicted bomber seeks mercy. he's in prison for a notorious terrorist act, the bombing of pan am flight 103, killing a lot of americans. now outrage. he may soon be set free after serving only about eight years. >>> and plane down. it ditches in the middle of the sea, and a pilot stands on the plane as it sinks. you might not believe what happened next. one witness said, and i'm quoting now, i thought i'

. gretchen: tracy miller was the woman who goes to the town hall meeting in texas. her congress member there sheila lee jackson takes her question -- by the way she is a cancer survivor. speaking out asking a question. the camera pans away. what is sheila jackson lee doing while tracy is asking her the question? steve: she is on the phone. gretchen: she is on her cell phone. jackson lee later explained to i think it was the hill or "roll call" newspaper down in washington what she was doing was speaking to somebody at the i-there is a hotline that's been set up so you can get quick answers to somebody. she was talking to somebody on the hotline to get some answers to some questions. extraordinarily the woman had not asked a question yet. and, yet, there she was doing it anyway, she was on -- sheila jackson lee was on greta the other day. greta was trying to get her you know are you going to apologize? do you feel bad? were you rude? here is what the congresswoman had to say. >> i certainly can understand if offense was taken. it was not meant to be. and i hope that tracy will come to my town hall meetings as i

call that led to on air apology sheila jackson lee to the town hall attendee she insulted while talking on the phone during that woman's question. now that town haller, a cancer survivor and single mom is challenging congress lee to a debate. let's take a listen to the challenge tracy issued ton a youtube video. >> this time i think it is even more important that you and other members of congress hear equally from myself and others who believe that hr 3200 is bad for america and why it is bad for america. i would like to invite to you have this dialogue in a public forum or debate which is acceptable to you whoa, tracy girl joins us to tell us more about this video challenge. good morning to you. >> good morning. steve: that is brilliant. sheila jackson lee from your district in the houston area she had said well well i'm sorry tracy i hope you will come to a town hall. steve: you turned it around i will come to your town hall but i want to debate the issue. who came up with this idea? >> a friend of mine and myself both were thinking of it when we talked the next day following

for the opening to the town hall. please welcome to the stage the chair of the congressional black caucus foundation and u.s. representative from the ever resilient state of texas, congresswoman sheila jackson lee. [applaus [applause] >> good morning, my brothers and sisters. that is not good enough. good morning my brothers and sisters. full of the faith that the dark past has brought us, we will, we will, we will march on until victory is won. i welcome you on behalf of the congressional black caucus foundation. you are at the 47th annual legislative conference, a conference that you could not afford to miss, and be reminded and still i rise. and welcome you again and delighted that you have come for the focus of today's discussion is fighting the systemic destruction of our civil rights. it's very timely, it is urgent, and i'm confident that we will have a productive discussion. early this morning, i was at one of our missions for homeless men here in washington d.c., along with the congressional black caucus foundation spouses. i've said to them we must live with hope, but when you see individuals where the system has failed them. where there is no future, then you know that we have to stand in the g